Ahh, Terlingua – where the temperature is so hot you’ll swear your AC is broken and cash is optional. That’s right – Terlingua is that rarest of towns, a ghost-town-turned-hippie-and-arts-commune-that-is-actually-still-kind-of-a-ghost-town.  You know, one of those.

terlingua
There are a good amount of buildings remaining – probably at least a dozen, which is pretty good for a ghost town. Terlingua boomed back in the early 1900’s, but now, it’s got only a handful of residents – most of whom, as far as I can tell, seem to work at the local souvenir shop/only shop.
The town is basically in the middle of nowhere. It’s quite near Big Bend park, which was about two hours off the highway through a whole lot of nothing. It’s easy to see why the town dried up when the mines did.
If you’re in the Big Bend area, you’ll do yourself a disservice if you skip this slice of history. Swing by, say hi, and get tips on what roads are donkey-infested (see the Contrabando post.)

The still-lived-in part of Terlingua plays host to artists, studios, and creative-types who prefer to live off the grid. Honestly, this seems like the kind of place where you could bury a body with literally no one ever noticing, so if it’s remote you’re after, you’ll find it here.

Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.
– Stephen King –

Fair warning: the buildings are all in various states of disrepair, so enter at your own risk. Like Contrabando, this is another place that’s out in the middle of nowhere, so I’d advise bringing plenty of water, maybe some backup gas, and sunscreen for days.


This is one of the most remote ghost towns I’ve ever been to – and emptiest, at least in the historical part of town. But it’s a photographer (or ghost hunters?) dream, so enjoy it, preserve it, and spread the word about the awesome town of Terlingua!